1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and, more particularly, to controlling a media conference arrangement through a distributed automatic control network.
2. Background Description
In a communication network, it is desirable to provide conference arrangements whereby many customers can be bridged together on a media conference connection. A conference bridge is a device or system which allows several connection endpoints to be connected together to establish a communications conference. Communications conferences may include voice, video, and an assortment of other media streams.
Historically, each conferee in a dial-up conference arrangement is summoned at the appropriate time by establishing a communication path to the conferee""s customer station. The conferee is informed that he or she is wanted for a conference call and then added to the bridge where the conferee can talk with the other conferees on the bridge. This type of an arrangement is under the control and supervision of an operator or attendant. The attendant can answer, add or disconnect individual conferees to the bridge with minimal interference to the other conferees connected. More recently, systems have allowed conferees to enter and leave a conference without a physical attendant""s participation.
In the prior art, control of conference bridge operator functions such as deleting or intercepting a conferee was accomplished via manual operation via a console, which therefore restricted the implementation of optional functions to operations manually selectable by a human attendant operator. A need therefore exists to be able to create a virtual attendant with the ability to perform a multitude of operations without human cost or intervention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a conference bridge which performs optional functions automatically.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for pre-defining optional functions to be undertaken with respect to individual conference participants.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a mechanism for automatically invoking optional functions, based upon attributes set by a participant or upon content analysis of media flows distributed on a conference.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an automatic bridge controller which is extensible and scalable.
The invention automatically controls a teleconference by establishing a trigger definition database in accordance with participant profiles set up for each participant station. Participant stations are connected to a teleconference through a media bridge, and media flows originating from a participant station are distributed to other participants through the media bridge. Media flows (including changes in participant attributes, virtual positioning information, audio streams, etc.) are analyzed to determine whether trigger criteria defined in the trigger definition database are met. In identifying trigger criteria, a media flow is associated with a participant station and the trigger definition database is used to determine which trigger criteria are applicable to the participant station. When a trigger criteria is determined to have been met, a corresponding conference control command stored in the trigger definition database is issued, which executes an optional function without intervention of a human conference attendant.
The invention provides automatic control of conference bridges, enabling operator functions such as deleting or re-routing a conference attendee to occur based on pre-defined trigger criteria. These triggers may includexe2x80x94but are not restricted toxe2x80x94analysis of data content or context, receipt of participant-initiated conference controls or requests, or external conferencing policy decisions applicable to participant media streams. The invention, called the automatic bridge controller, including a trigger definition database, which preferably includes trigger functions, trigger criteria, and trigger control commands for describing the nature of the trigger to be detected as well as the action to be taken; a bridge analyzer, which performs the trigger functions, detects trigger criteria, and issues trigger control commands; and a bridge control protocol, in accordance with which the control commands are sent to the desired system element or elements.